AXE the tax: Councillors Pam King and Paul Carter with Cheadle residents.

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FURIOUS Cheadle residents are calling for council tax to be axed after it emerged Tony Blair pays less than his counterparts in Stockport.

The Prime Minister pays just £1,140 per year to live in his band H - the top bracket - house at Number 10 Downing Street, Westminster.

But residents of the equivalent band H property in Stockport have to fork out £2,300.64 every year in council tax.

Mr Blair's council tax bill is even £10 a year cheaper than the charge for residents of a band D home, the average council tax bracket in Stockport would be expected to pay.

Hundreds of Cheadle residents have already signed the 'Axe The Tax' petition in support of the Liberal Democrat campaign, which hopes to replace the council tax system with a fairer payment.

Cheadle LibDem councillor Pam King explained: "This isn't a fair tax, especially for the elderly who are on a fixed income."

"We want to see an income-based tax that is collected through the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system in the same way as existing income tax."

Stockport is the lowest government funded council in Greater Manchester, receiving just £661 per person each year, compared the Manchester's £1,242.

The council's budget proposals plan to raise council tax by just over 4 per cent, Manchester increased its by 2.5 per cent, this year.

The proposal claims that if Stockport received the same grants as Manchester there would be no need to charge any council tax at all.

Coun King added: "Most of my constituents are really fed up with council tax. For many people, such as the elderly or young families who are trying to make a go of things, it puts them under a lot of stress and anxiety. We need a fairer system."